United have been linked strongly with current Roma player Miralem Pjanic, with recent reports suggesting the Old Trafford side will mount a £25 million move for the Bosnian in January.

Roma’s apparent interest in Cabaye is interesting because they would be very unlikely to allow someone of Pjanic’s quality to leave the club unless they had a solid and ready replacement already in the squad.

Pjanic plays at the heart of a three man system in Roma’s midfield alongside Daniele De Rossi and former United target Kevin Strootman, which means the Italian club are unlikely to let Pjanic leave, if it means breaking up that tactic without someone ready to step into the system.

United are also relying on Pjanic not signing a new five-year contract, which has been widely reported in the Italian press, as the Italian club reportedly look for ways they can hang onto their player.

Cabaye was quite publicly linked with a move to Arsenal over the summer and Roma offer an equally interesting proposition for the Frenchman, who has been one of Newcastle’s most consistent players since he joined the club.

Cabaye has a natural link with the current manager of Roma, Rudi Garcia, who used to be his boss back in the days when the pair were at Lille in Ligue One.

Needless to say Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will fight any possible move because of how important Cabaye is to the Magpies but if it’s a deal which goes through this winter, Manchester United could pounce and solve a clear creativity problem in their own midfield.

Roma’s interest in Cabaye is also a deal which could create a knock on effect, which we saw with several other deals over the summer; Newcastle won’t let Cabaye go until they get a replacement, Roma won’t let Pjanic go until they get Cabaye.

So there’s an awful lot which has to happen before Manchester United get their hands on Pjanic.

Whether it’s a sign Roma are starting to prepare for a high profile departure or whether it’s just another rumour created in an Italian newsroom, Manchester United could benefit.

Lewis Doe

Lewis Doe is a freelance writer and editor who seeks to bring you the biggest, smallest and most interesting stories from the football world. Lewis has previously written for some of the biggest football news and opinion sites in the world including FootballFanCast and Goal.com International. Lewis is also experienced writing in the betting industry and aims to deliver his stories with up to date factual and statistical information. He hopes to sum up stories for the site and provide an angle on the issue moving forward.Lewis is HITC Sport's La Liga correspondent.